Protected From the Storm
by Kristen3
Summary: Niles is awoken by his daughter in the middle of the night. He realizes just how much he loves her, as well as Daphne. Fluffy one-shot inspired by a story written by TVFanoftheYear.


Niles woke to the sound of thunder crashing outside. Seattle had rain, but it wasn't usually like this. Before he could do anything, he was aware of a pair of eyes on him. They weren't Daphne's, although they were the same color. No, these eyes belonged to another female who was very precious to him.

"Did the storm scare you?" Niles asked three-year-old Lily. Her only response was a nod. Lighting flashed, and Niles could see that she held her favorite teddy bear. He could tell that she was afraid. He leaned forward, kissing the top of her head. "There's nothing for you to be frightened of. It's just a storm. But we're safe in here." Niles kept his voice low, so as not to wake Daphne. He carefully lifted Lily up onto their bed.

For a moment, Lily just stared at him, unconvinced by his words. "I know the storm is big and scary, but it can't hurt you. Some people even like storms." Just then, lightning flashed again. "See, it's like fireworks," he said, pointing out the window.

Lily quietly crawled toward him. "Can I sleep in here with you?" she whispered.

Niles looked at where Daphne was still sound asleep. Would having a child lying between them wake her up? Niles knew he could walk her back to her room, and get her to sleep there. That way, everyone could have a peaceful night's sleep. But one look in his daughter's eyes, and Niles knew he couldn't say no. "All right, you can sleep here between Mommy and me, but you can't get up again, OK? If you have to go potty, go now."

Lily shook her head. She moved into the place Niles had pointed to, right next to where Daphne lay, still sound asleep.

It didn't take long before Lily was out like a light, too. For a moment, Niles watched as she breathed slowly and evenly. The love he felt for this little girl was overwhelming. After David, Niles knew Daphne wanted more. Since she'd grown up in a large family, she wanted the same experience for her own children. Before he and Daphne had become a couple, children were something he'd never even considered. Even having David was a miracle. But then, three years later, it happened.

If Niles had thought having a son was an amazing experience, it was nothing compared to having a little girl. He'd loved her from day one, and everyone knew he was wrapped around her finger. He couldn't be more grateful for this child. Slowly, Niles realized that he, too, needed to get some sleep. He kissed Lily's cheek as she slept. "I love you," he whispered. In a matter of moments, Niles was fast asleep, and dreaming of the first time he saw Daphne.

Suddenly, Daphne was woken up by an elbow in her stomach. "Ow!" She expected to see an apologetic Niles sitting next to her, but what she saw instead was a much smaller body. Lily lay there next to Niles, using him as a shield, to block out the storm which had now been over for hours. Daphne didn't have to wonder what had happened.

It was Saturday, and none of them had much planned for today. Though he worked hard during the week, Niles always made his family his first priority on weekends. Daphne got out of bed. She didn't mind being the first one up. She was used to it, from the years she'd spent living with Frasier and his father. It was much easier to do housework when the place was quiet.

As Daphne made her way downstairs, she realized she was hungry. She could've easily put a frozen waffle into the toaster, or made a bowl of cereal. But she thought of Niles and Lily asleep upstairs. Not to mention David, a growing boy. No, she could definitely do better than that. The Cranes still teased Daphne about her lack of cooking ability. But both Lily and David didn't seem to mind eating the meals she made. Even Niles complimented her sometimes, though she knew he did it mostly out of love. Within minutes, she had eggs and bacon cooking. The kitchen smelled amazing. With a smile, she realized she'd better go and wake the family upstairs.

She flung open the door to their master bedroom, where her husband and daughter were still asleep. "Time for breakfast!"

Niles and Lily both woke, with nearly identical confused looks on their faces. "Huh?"

Daphne couldn't help laughing at the sight. "I saw you two here, so peaceful, and I just couldn't wake you. I decided to make breakfast first. But you two better come down now, or David will make sure nothing's left."

Lily was wide awake in seconds. She ran as fast as she could, despite being so little. Niles got up more slowly, coming over to Daphne. "I love you," he said, kissing her.

"I know," Daphne replied, smiling at him. "I love you, too. I guess the storm last night frightened Lily?"

Niles nodded. "She asked if she could sleep here. I knew I should've taken her back to her room, but..." He shrugged.

"It's OK. You don't need to apologize. I'm just glad she has a Daddy she can run to when she's scared."

"I've heard from my patients how a father can love his daughter more than he thought possible. I never realized before how true it is until she came along." Niles knew without question that he would do everyone in his power to protect Lily, no matter what.

"That's how I feel about David," Daphne said. "I'd probably have done the same thing when David was her age." She kissed him again, longer.

Niles looked at her, amazed at how his crush on Daphne hadn't diminished at all, even after so many years. "You know, I bet Dad would love to spend the day with David. And I bet Lily would love to go along, too..."

Daphne saw the mischievous look in his eyes. "Well, I guess maybe I'm not the only psychic in this family." She gave him a knowing smile. "We should wake David and get down there. Lily's probably _starving_ by now."

"Right," Niles said, taking her hand as they walked out of the room. Last night's storm had reminded Niles of one very important fact. As a husband and father he had many responsibilities. But the most important one of all was to protect the people who meant the most to him. It was something he would do, no matter what storms lay ahead.

 **The End**


End file.
